Thill-support



(No Model.)

P. C. sH1PLBY.-p

THILL SUPPORT.

No.. 565,865. Patented Aug. 11, 1896.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER c. sHIPLEY, on RED oAK, IOWA.

THlLL-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,865, dated August11, I1896.

Application filed October l2, 1895. Serial No. 565,528. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, PETER C. SHIPLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Red Oak, in the county of Montgomery and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and use ful Improvements in AutomaticThill-Supports; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to vehicles; and its object is to provide a supportfor the thills and poles adapted to hold them automatically at anyheight to which they may be lifted, and especially to keep them uprightwhen a vellicle is standing in a carriage-house or the ike.

Theinvention consists in a spring-actuated arm attached to thethill-coupling and bearing upward against the under side of the thills.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device applied to athill. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on a `larger scale. Fig. 3 is asectional elevation on the line am, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation ofthe reverse side from that shown in Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are details.

The body of the casing A is hollow, being open at the lower end. On oneside of the body A is a lug c, having a screw-threaded hole c' toreceive the end of the bolt which connects the thill B with the couplingC. The top of the bodyA is closed, with the eX- ception of a slot a2. Oneach side of the casing are upright ears a3, in the inside of each ofwhich is a notch a4. In these notches is pivoted a lever D, which has anearly triangular base provided at one side with lugs d, which rest inthe notches a4. Near the other side of the lever, the base of which isbifurcated, is a transverse pin or bar d', with which engages a rod E,which passes down through the slot a? to near the lower end of the bodyA, where it is provided with a nut e, above which is a washer e. Betweenthe washer and the upper end of the body A is a helical spring F, thetension of which tends to keep the lever D in the position in which itis shown in Fig. 2. The lever is made in two parts D D', the upper partDl being adjustably connected with the lower part preferably by means oftwo radially-serrated faces cl2 d3, held together by a central bolt G.

The upper end of the part Dl has an arm d4 projecting out at rightangles and in the plane of the axis of the lugs CZ, on which the leverturns. When the device is secured to the thill-coupling, the arm d4projects under the thill, and, since the spring F holds the leverupright, the Jthill will be kept raised. When the thills are broughtdown to permit the horse to be hitched, the lever is forced over towardthe front, as shown in Fig. 1, lifting the rod E and compressing thespring, so that the thills are prevented from rattling. When thecarriage is put back in the carriage-house, it is only necessary to liftthe thills to an upright position, when the lever will follow and keepthem from falling. By making the lever in two parts it can be angularlyadj usted to fit different shapes of thills.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-- l. A thill-support, consisting of a casingadapted to be attached to the thill-coupling, a bell-crank leverfulcrumed on the end of said casing to engage with the under side of thethill and a spring inclosed in the casing connected with the short armof J[he lever, substantially as described.

2. A thill-support, consisting of a casing adapted to be attached to thethill-coupling, a lever fulcrumed on the casing and composed of twoparts adjustably connected together, a spring inclosed in the casing,and a rod connected with the lever and carrying a washer bearing againstthe end of the spring, substantially as described.

3. A thill-support, consisting of the casing A having an open lower end,and upright ears a3 Containing notches a4, the lever C0mposed of twoparts D D/ having radially-sen rated faces d2 d3 held together by a boltG, the part D having` lugs d and a pin d', the rod E connected with thepin d passing down through the easing and carrying the washer e', andthe spring F held between the washer and the upper end of the easing,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER C. SHIPLEY. Witnesses:

GEO. W. JOHNSTON, C. T. GADD.

